Chair arm support

ABSTRACT

Support adapted for mounting on the arm of a chair, for support of objects such as glasses, cups, ash trays, or the like, within convenient reach of the occupant of the chair. The support has two flat panels, one flushly against the other, which rest upon the chair arm, and each has a downturned outer edge which grips a side of the chair arm. The relative positions of the panels are adjustable so that the support may be mounted on chair arms of diverse widths and on chair arms having sides angular one to the other.

United States Patent Douglas et al.

[54] CHAIR ARM SUPPORT [72] Inventors: Ormond S. Douglas, 501 Ross,

Dayton, Tex. 77535; Warnell M.

Byrd, 121 Anita Drive, Panama City, Fla. 32401 [22] Filed: Sept. 13, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 179,648

[52] US. Cl ..29.'7/l94, 108/44 [51] Int. Cl ..A47c 7/62 [58] Field of Search ...297/l94, 188; 248/1456, 31 l,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,797,973 7/ 1957 Culpepper ..297/ 194 UX 3,163,287 12/1964 Barnett ..108/44 X 3,190,241 6/1965 Rogers et al ..l08/45 3,244,125 4/1966 Mackey 108/44 [151 3,690,724 [451 Sept. 12, 1972 3,326,446 6/1967 Goings 108/44 X 3,330,227 7/1967 Yachuk 108/44 3,244,125 4/1966 McKey 108/44 3,326,446 6/1967 Goings ..l08/44 X Primary Examiner-James T. McCall Attorney--Carl B. Fox, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT Support adapted for mounting on the am of a chair, for support of objects such as glasses, cups, ash trays, or the like, within convenient reach of the occupant of the chair. The support has two flat panels, one flushly against the other, which rest upon the chair arm, and each has a downtumed outer edge which grips a side of the chair arm. The relative positions of the panels are adjustable so that the support may be mounted on chair arms of diverse widths and on chair arms having sides angular one to the other.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures CHAIR ARM SUPPORT SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention contemplates chair arm supports wherein a flat panel is disposed upon the arm of a chair, the panel having plural perforations crossways of the chair arm and having a downtumed edge which is adapted for gripping of a side of the chair arm. A second panel is placed flushly above the first, and carries at its underside a lug adapted to enter such one of the perforations of the first panel as will cause adequate gripping with the chair arm. The second panel also has a downtumed outer edge for gripping the opposite side of the chair arm. The support is particularly adapted for mounting on upholstered furniture which has a certain amount of resiliency. The downtumed panel portions are also somewhat resilient, so that the lug may be moved by relative movements of the panels to enter a perforation such that the downtumed portions of the two panels tightly grip the chair arm so that the support will be firmly secured in place.

The upper surface of the upper panel is provided with receptacles for receiving objects such as glasses, cups, ash trays, or the like, so that same may be placed upon the support on the arm of a chair within convenient reach of the occupant of the chair, and at the same time providing against knocking off such objects from the support which might result in spillage to cause damage either to the chair or to objects located adjacent thereto. The cup or glass receptacle may be vertically slotted to receive the handle of a cofiee cup.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference during the course of the description being made to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in vertical cross section, showing a preferred embodiment of apparatus according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, taken at line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus being shown disposed upon a chair arm the inner and outer sides of which are not parallel.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial cross sectional view taken at line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings in detail, a first panel member is disposed upon the upper surface of a chair arm 11. Downturned edge portion 12 of panel 10 is engaged with one side of chair arm 11. Edge portion 12 may be engaged with whichever side of the chair arm as may be desired. Panel 10 has a plurality of spaced openings or perforations therethrough, in a direction across the arm of the chair and laterally of the length of the upper surface of panel 10.

A second panel 16 is disposed flushly against the upper surface of panel 10. Panel 16 has downtumed edge portion 17 which is adapted for gripping either side of a chair arm in the same manner as edge portion 12 previously described, but at the opposite side of the chair arm from edge portion 12.

At its underside, panel 16 has a downwardly projecting integral lug 19. As is best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, the lug 19 is disposed into one of the perforations 14 through panel 10, to hold the two panels together in proper position. The proper panel positions and the proper insertion of lug 19 is such that the downtumed panel portions 12, 17 indent somewhat into the opposite sides of the chair arm, the downtumed portions 12, 17 at the same time being resiliently sprung outward so that the downtumed portions 12, 17 are firmly in gripping engagement with the opposite sides of the arm of the chair. With the panels thus relatively tensioned one with respect to the other, the lug 19 is firmly held within the perforation 14 through which it is disposed so that it is not likely to be accidentally dislodged. Plural lugs may be used, and the lug may be at the upperside of panel 10 with the perforation then in panel 16.

Panel 16 has intumed ends 16a, 16b which bend down and under the main part of panel 16 to beneath the opposite end portions of panel 10. Ends 16a, 16b hold the panels 10, 16 flushly together, yet relative movable laterally. The panel material is at least somewhat resiliently bendable so that panels 10, 16 and ends 16a, 16b will bend to permit movements of the lug 19, or lugs, to the perforations. Ends 16a, 16b serve also to insure that the lug will not be accidentally dislodged from the perforation into which it has been disposed with the apparatus mounted upon the arm of a chair.

The lug 16 isshown to be flaringly enlarged toward a flat end 19b which engages against an end of the perforation, and the perforations are shown correspondingly shaped, but these shapes may be modified.

Panel 16 has disposed at its upper surface a pair of fittings 21, 22 adapted to receive objects which are desired to be supported on the chair arm. Fitting 21 is in the form of a vertical cylindrical tubular receptacle, into which objects such as a glass, a coffee or tea cup, or the like, may be placed. For replacement of cups therein, fitting 21 has a pair of vertical slots 24, 25 through which the handle 27 of a cup 28 is disposed. The slots 24, 25 are positioned at opposite rearward angles of fitting 21 so that the slots are disposed toward the occupant or user of a chair regardless of which chair arm the apparatus is disposed upon. If the apparatus is disposed on the right hand chair arm, then slot 24 will be directed toward the chair occupant. If, on the other hand, the support apparatus is mounted on the left hand chair arm, then slot 25 will be directed toward the chair occupant. In either case, the cup handle may be disposed through either slot 24 or 25 as desired by the user.

Fitting 22 is a short vertical tubular cylindrical fitting adapted, for example, to receive and support an ash tray 31. As will be clearly understood, the sizes and natures of the fittings 21, 22 may be varied as desired in order that they may receive and support any desired object upon the chair arm.

The apparatus may be made of any suitable material, such as metal or plastic. If made of plastic, the thicknesses of panels 10 and 16 will in most cases be thicker than would be the case if the panels were made of metal. The panels may, of course, be made of any suitable thickness, depending on what is desired by the maker in accordance with the concepts of the invention. The materials should be fairly rigid yet should be resilient sufi'iciently that proper gripping of the chair arm may be readily realized and such that the lug or lugs 19 may be moved to any of the perforations as desired.

While two fittings or receptacles 21, 22 are shown, it will be apparent that any number of receptacles may be provided, to receive any types of objects as may be desired.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the apparatus is shown disposed upon the arm 35 of a chair, the opposite sides 36, 37 of which are not parallel. As will be observed, the panels and 16 in this case are relatively pivoted in position so that the downturned portions 12, 17 are each parallely against a side of the chair arm. Thus, the panel dispositions automatically adapt to the shape of the chair arm in order to result in the maximum gripping relation to fully support the apparatus upon the chair arm. In addition, as has been mentioned, the plural openings 14 provide that the chair arm upon which the apparatus is used may be of virtually any width.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described and shown in the drawings, many modifications thereof may be made by a person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to protect by Letters Patent all forms of the invention falling within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. Support apparatus for mounting upon the arm of a chair, comprising first panel means having a flat portion adapted for placement upon the upper surface of an arm of a chairand having a downturned edge portion adapted to be disposed against one side of said chair arm, second panel means having a flat portion adapted for placement flushly upon said flat portion of said first panel means and having a downturned edge portion adapted to be disposed against the other side of said chair arm and having inturned ends disposed beneath opposite end portions of said first panel means, and connection means for holding said flat portions of said first and second panel means together whereby said downturned edge portions thereof are maintained against said respective sides of said chair arm.

2. The combination of claim 1, said connection means comprising lug means extending from said flat portion of one said panel means, and perforation means through said flat portion of the other said panel means, said lug means being removably receivable into said perforation means.

3. The combination of claim 2, said perforation means comprising plural spaced perforations disposed laterally of the chair arm on which said panel means are disposed, said lug means being removably receivable in such one of said perforations depending on the width of the chair arm as will insure that said downturned panel portions are pressed firmly against the opposite sides of said chair arm to hold the support apparatus secured panel portions being at least somewhat flexible whereby to engage the opposite sides of the chair arm under tension.

5. The combination of claim 4, said flat portion of said second panel means having object holding means at its upper surface.

6. The combination of claim 5, said holding means including an upstanding tubular formation adapted to receive the bottom portion of a vessel having a handle, said formation having at least one vertical slot therethrough to receive the handle of said vessel.

7. The combination of claim 3, said first and second panel means being mutually pivotal about said lug whereby said downturned panel portions will engage parallel and nonparallel opposite sides of the arm of a chair. 

1. Support apparatus for mounting upon the arm of a chair, comprising first panel means having a flat portion adapted for placement upon the upper surface of an arm of a chair and having a downturned edge portion adapted to be disposed against one side of said chair arm, second panel means having a flat portion adapted for placement flushly upon said flat portion of said first panel means and having a downturned edge portion adapted to be disposed against the other side of said chair arm and having inturned ends disposed beneath opposite end portions of said first panel means, and connection means for holding said flat portions of said first and second panel means together whereby said downturned edge portions thereof are maintained against said respective sides of said chair arm.
 2. The combination of claim 1, said connection means comprising lug means extending from said flat portion of one said panel means, and perforation means through said flat portion of the other said panel means, said lug means being removably receivable into said perforation means.
 3. The combination of claim 2, said perforation means comprising plural spaced perforations disposed laterally of the chair arm on which said panel means are disposed, said lug means being removably receivable in such one of said perforations depending on the width of the chair arm as will insure that said downturned panel portions are pressed firmly against the opposite sides of said chair arm to hold the support apparatus secured thereon.
 4. The combination of claim 3, said downturned panel portions being at least somewhat flexible whereby to engage the opposite sides of the chair arm under tension.
 5. The combination of claim 4, said flat portion of said second panel means having object holding means at its upper surface.
 6. The combination of claim 5, said holding means including an upstanding tubular formation adapted to receive the bottom portion of a vessel having a handle, said formation having at least one vertical slot therethrough to receive the handle of said vessel.
 7. The combination of claim 3, said first and second panel means being mutually pivotal about said lug whereby said downturned panel portions will engage parallel and nonparallel opposite sides of the arm of a chair. 